Even the best doctors can face a malpractice allegation.

This coverage helps protect you and your personal assets, your practice and your patients. It compensates for damages, loss or injury suffered by the patient, as well as legal defense costs. Since 1946, D.C.s have recognized NCMIC as the malpractice leader. Today more D.C.s rely on NCMIC’s Malpractice Insurance Plan than all other chiropractic malpractice insurance companies combined.

Business and Personal Insurance to Protect You and Your Practice

NCMIC wants to make sure you have the insurance you need for your business and personal life. Whether you need business owners', workers’ compensation, EPLI, data breach/cyber liability, auto, homeowners or long term disability insurance, NCMIC can help you find the right coverage at the right price.

Grow your practice and save money with help from NCMIC Finance Corporation

Are you adding or upgrading practice equipment? Would you like to save money on credit card processing? Do you need working capital cash or a no annual fee business card that pays you back? NCMIC Finance Corporation can help you achieve your financial goals.

NCMIC EVENTS

At NCMIC, we believe that supporting the chiropractic profession is an important part of our heritage. No other insurance provider has provided more support for the profession than NCMIC.

In the past 5 years, NCMIC has attended more than 900 chiropractic events including college homecomings, seminars and state/national association conventions. We also offer business training and malpractice risk management seminars and resources to D.C.s as a complement to the education provided by the chiropractic colleges.

Answer: The return to the house call concept of yesteryear seems to be a trend across the healthcare spectrum.USA Today indicates about 4,000 physicians make house calls in the United States,* and this number is expected to grow.

From a patient perspective, elderly patients or those with physical constraints often find house calls beneficial. Other patients like the convenience or comfort of being treated in their homes. Many Doctors of Chiropractic appreciate being able to treat these patients according to their wishes, as well as the potential to reduce their overhead expenses, such as staffing.

Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that the customary protocols of taking a history, performing an exam and keeping comprehensive records apply. Additionally, HIPAA requirements are in force, and the doctor must follow state guidelines to be in compliance with his or her state scope of practice.

That’s why, at a minimum, Doctors of Chiropractic who are thinking about starting a house call program should identify how they will handle the following aspects:

Privacy—Is there a private room away from other family members to ensure doctor/patient confidentiality during chiropractic care?

Imaging—How will X-rays and other diagnostic studies be obtained?

Documentation—How will contemporaneous notes be taken during treatment and transferred to the office’s paper or electronic recordkeeping system?

In the event of a malpractice case, it’s imperative to your defense that you can explain what symptoms the patient exhibited, what your care entailed (along with any modalities used) and why you chose this course of care. Proper documentation is always essential to validate what occurred before, during and after the chiropractic care, and it may be even more important when care is provided outside the office.

Although starting a house call program may sound appealing, your protocol should be no different than what you would do in your office, which is to provide the best care possible to your patients.

Tags

About the Author

Keith Henaman

Keith Henaman is assistant vice president of claims for NCMIC. He is responsible for many aspects of the company’s day-to-day claims operation. In addition, he handles cases involving potentially high exposures and claims involving coverage issues.

Common Question to the Claims Advice Hotline

At NCMIC, we talk to many doctors when they call our Claims Advice Hotline about potential claims issues. Here is an example of a question we have received and how our claims professionals might have responded to it.

The information in the NCMIC Learning Center is offered solely for general information and educational purposes. It is not offered as, nor does it represent, legal or professional advice. Neither does this information constitute a guideline, practice parameter or standard of care. You should not act or rely upon this information without seeking the advice of an attorney familiar with the specific legal requirements of the state(s) in which you practice. If there is a discrepancy between the site and an insurance policy you have with NCMIC, the policy will prevail.